Few architectural fads have been as widely vilified as brutalism; however, with The Brutalist sweeping cinemas and award ceremonies, not least Sunday’s BAFTAs, the style finds itself back in the spotlight and being reassessed.
Descended from the modernist school of architecture and stringently defined by its use of structural elements as an exposed design detail, its expressive and sculptural form, and its lack of plaster finish, brutalism first emerged in the 1950s as a direct clapback to the architectural nostalgia of the 1940s.
Yet while this style enjoyed huge popularity in post-war Britain, France and a number of Eastern Bloc nations, it fared less well in Poland—this despite the country’s widespread adoption of other architecturally questionable trends of the era. However, brutalist nuggets do exist in Poland, some in better shape than others.
Yet while this style enjoyed huge popularity in post-war Britain, France and a number of Eastern Bloc nations, it fared less well in Poland—this despite the country’s widespread adoption of other architecturally questionable trends of the era. However, brutalist nuggets do exist in Poland, some in better shape than others.
Gallery of Contemporary Art Bunkier Sztuki (Krakow)
Krakow’s ‘art bunker’ justifies its name courtesy of shock factor exterior aesthetics that are more redolent of a military facility than a modern art space. Purposefully created to counterbalance the Art Nouveau form of the Palace of Arts opposite, this gallery scandalized Krakow when it was completed in 1965.
Authored by Krystyna Tołłoczko-Różyska and characterized by its concrete casts of wooden formwork, recent years have seen the building reappraised despite its brazen clash with the Old Town’s otherwise elegant architecture. Following a renovation last year, its once grimy, forbidding facade has been lightened and humanized as a consequence.
Authored by Krystyna Tołłoczko-Różyska and characterized by its concrete casts of wooden formwork, recent years have seen the building reappraised despite its brazen clash with the Old Town’s otherwise elegant architecture. Following a renovation last year, its once grimy, forbidding facade has been lightened and humanized as a consequence.
Forum Hotel (Krakow)
Come summer, Krakow’s Bunkier Sztuki gallery disappears beneath the blooming greenery of Planty Park—but there’s no hiding the Forum Hotel.
Set on the riverbank and looking more like a raised concrete tomb, the 110-meter-long Forum is one of the city’s more infamous landmarks, a love-it-or-loathe-it affair that continues to split public opinion.
Finished in 1988 after over 15 years of work, when it opened—just before the collapse of Communism—it provided a teasing glimpse of Western luxury. Touting a computerized booking system, swimming pool, tennis courts, casino, beauty salon and air-conditioned rooms, it was hailed as a self-sufficient island of prosperity.
Set on the riverbank and looking more like a raised concrete tomb, the 110-meter-long Forum is one of the city’s more infamous landmarks, a love-it-or-loathe-it affair that continues to split public opinion.
Finished in 1988 after over 15 years of work, when it opened—just before the collapse of Communism—it provided a teasing glimpse of Western luxury. Touting a computerized booking system, swimming pool, tennis courts, casino, beauty salon and air-conditioned rooms, it was hailed as a self-sufficient island of prosperity.
It’s little wonder, therefore, that guests included the likes of Bob Dylan, President George H.W. Bush, Chancellor Helmut Kohl and First Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev. However, the hotel dated fast and it was closed in 2002. Left abandoned for years, Poland’s longest billboard covered the exterior, though for the last decade the Forum’s ground floor has had new life breathed into it courtesy of a cult and food and drink hangout that’s become a rite of passage for the city’s night owls.
While some have called for its demolition, mounting support for the Forum’s preservation has been highlighted by way of a campaign to add it to the register of protected monuments.
While some have called for its demolition, mounting support for the Forum’s preservation has been highlighted by way of a campaign to add it to the register of protected monuments.
Hala Olivia (Gdańsk)
Divisive as the brutalist style has proved to be, even its fiercest critics tend to recognize the beauty of Gdańsk’s Hala Olivia.
Evoking visions of a ship sailing on stormy waters and defined by its sharply sloping roof, this concrete colossus opened in 1972 with an ice hockey match contested between the local side, RKS Stoczniowiec Gdańsk, and Polonia Bydgoszcz.
Yet while Olivia’s ice rink has always been its primary attraction, the structure’s generous dimensions have seen it host a diverse range of landmark events—from the first-ever national Solidarity trade union convention in 1981 to the founding meeting of Poland’s Platforma Obywatelska (Civic Platform) political party.
It was here, too, that Elton John performed in 1984 on his first-ever tour of Poland, and it was also inside Hala Olivia that local boxing hero Dariusz ‘Tiger’ Michalczewski retained the WBO light heavyweight belt after flooring Joey DeGrandis in the second round.
Evoking visions of a ship sailing on stormy waters and defined by its sharply sloping roof, this concrete colossus opened in 1972 with an ice hockey match contested between the local side, RKS Stoczniowiec Gdańsk, and Polonia Bydgoszcz.
Yet while Olivia’s ice rink has always been its primary attraction, the structure’s generous dimensions have seen it host a diverse range of landmark events—from the first-ever national Solidarity trade union convention in 1981 to the founding meeting of Poland’s Platforma Obywatelska (Civic Platform) political party.
It was here, too, that Elton John performed in 1984 on his first-ever tour of Poland, and it was also inside Hala Olivia that local boxing hero Dariusz ‘Tiger’ Michalczewski retained the WBO light heavyweight belt after flooring Joey DeGrandis in the second round.
Uniwersus (Warsaw)
As implausible as it sounds, the grim-looking Uniwersus building in the capital’s southern Mokotów district was once nicknamed “the happiest place in Warsaw.” Completed in 1980 on the site of a 19th century neo-renaissance villa, this XL-sized pavilion was originally constructed to serve as an exhibition hall showcasing the Soviet Union’s technical accomplishments.
Soon, though, it was repurposed as Dom Książki (the House of Books), and it was there that Varsovians headed to feast on international bestsellers. For those bookworms willing to overlook the copious structural deficiencies and leaky ceilings, it became a place to escape the bleak reality of Communism and enjoy imported Western literature.
Narrowly escaping demolition in 2008, the building is now a protected ‘monument’ and occasionally hosts alternative theater performances.
Soon, though, it was repurposed as Dom Książki (the House of Books), and it was there that Varsovians headed to feast on international bestsellers. For those bookworms willing to overlook the copious structural deficiencies and leaky ceilings, it became a place to escape the bleak reality of Communism and enjoy imported Western literature.
Narrowly escaping demolition in 2008, the building is now a protected ‘monument’ and occasionally hosts alternative theater performances.
Panorama Racławice (Wrocław)
When it comes to unique, this rotunda has no rival. Built to house The Battle of Racławice, a 120-meter-long wraparound painting created toward the end of the 19th century, there is little ordinary about the building.
Taking 24 years to construct, and finished only in 1985, this feast of raw concrete is every bit as epic as the artwork it displays. Widening outwards and held in place by 24 load-bearing columns, the pavilion is one of the city’s most memorable pieces of architecture.
Taking 24 years to construct, and finished only in 1985, this feast of raw concrete is every bit as epic as the artwork it displays. Widening outwards and held in place by 24 load-bearing columns, the pavilion is one of the city’s most memorable pieces of architecture.
Osiedle Plac Grunwaldzki (Wrocław)
Perhaps no city in Poland boasts as much architectural diversity as Wrocław—and doing a particularly magnificent job of representing the brutalist style is the Grunwaldzki housing estate.
Finished in 1973 to a design sketched by Jadwiga Grabowska-Hawrylak, this set of six residential towers was hailed by the authorities as a bold sign of Poland’s optimistic future—with Edward Gierek at the helm of Poland’s communist party, hopes were high for an economic boom that would usher in a new era of prosperity. The Grunwaldzki estate was part of this brave new world.
Finished in 1973 to a design sketched by Jadwiga Grabowska-Hawrylak, this set of six residential towers was hailed by the authorities as a bold sign of Poland’s optimistic future—with Edward Gierek at the helm of Poland’s communist party, hopes were high for an economic boom that would usher in a new era of prosperity. The Grunwaldzki estate was part of this brave new world.
Given its impact on the skyline, the complex was soon nicknamed ‘Manhattan’—more unkindly, others have christened it Sedewsowce (‘the toilet seats’) due to the repeated oval shape of the window recesses.
Several planned ideas—such as rooftop gardens and white concrete facades—were not implemented due to budgetary issues, lending the estate its brutalist look, something that came in handy when it was used as a bleak backdrop in Netflix’s dark thriller 1983.
Several planned ideas—such as rooftop gardens and white concrete facades—were not implemented due to budgetary issues, lending the estate its brutalist look, something that came in handy when it was used as a bleak backdrop in Netflix’s dark thriller 1983.
Superjednostka (Katowice)
Not all would agree that the Superjednostka apartment block qualifies as a brutalist structure, but its hardcore visage and supersized scale mean that most are happy to ignore the pedants.
Completed in 1972, this apartment block was designed by Mieczysław Król, an architect who took direct inspiration from Le Corbusier and envisaged it as “a machine for living.” Containing 700 flats, original blueprints imagined this block’s 3,000 residents sharing a communal kitchen-dining room on one floor set aside for the purpose.
While this madcap plan was abandoned, the building wasn’t short on other nods to utopian principles—right up until 1994, this 187-meter-long beast was crowned by giant lettering that declared: “Our hearts, thoughts, deeds to you, Socialist homeland.”
Completed in 1972, this apartment block was designed by Mieczysław Król, an architect who took direct inspiration from Le Corbusier and envisaged it as “a machine for living.” Containing 700 flats, original blueprints imagined this block’s 3,000 residents sharing a communal kitchen-dining room on one floor set aside for the purpose.
While this madcap plan was abandoned, the building wasn’t short on other nods to utopian principles—right up until 1994, this 187-meter-long beast was crowned by giant lettering that declared: “Our hearts, thoughts, deeds to you, Socialist homeland.”
Katowice Dworzec (Katowice)
Though no longer Katowice’s best example of brutalism, the city’s train station is at least the best-known. A shadow of its former self following its dramatic reconfiguration fifteen years ago, the original station on this plot debuted in 1972 and was lauded as a triumph of engineering.
Perched on 16 slender columns, the spacious station was filled with natural light and defined by its glass facade and a concrete overpass leading to the entrance. Practical additions included a first aid point, a PEWEX store selling imported goodies, a canteen and post office.
The station’s condition, however, deteriorated quickly and by the 2000s it had become a rotting relic of the past, and its dank, damp halls filled with junkies and vagrants. But while much of it was demolished within just 21 days back in 2010, four of the station’s chalice-like support columns were preserved and survive to this day.
Perched on 16 slender columns, the spacious station was filled with natural light and defined by its glass facade and a concrete overpass leading to the entrance. Practical additions included a first aid point, a PEWEX store selling imported goodies, a canteen and post office.
The station’s condition, however, deteriorated quickly and by the 2000s it had become a rotting relic of the past, and its dank, damp halls filled with junkies and vagrants. But while much of it was demolished within just 21 days back in 2010, four of the station’s chalice-like support columns were preserved and survive to this day.
Śródmiejska Dzielnica Mieszkaniowa (Łódź)
Distinguished by the technical units that hang over the edge of its 78-meter-tall towers, Łódź’s SDM estate was completed in 1972 and lionized as proof of the city’s emergence as a modern, future-forward metropolis.
Nicknamed ‘Manhattan’ by the locals, the development’s inhuman dimensions form a solid concrete curtain just a little beyond the pedestrianized section of the city’s main high street, Piotrkowska. Now, though, its jarring aesthetics have been softened by the appearance of a set of gargantuan murals.
Covering an area of 2,000 sq/m and composed using 650 liters of paint, the 2021 artworks celebrate Geralt of Rivia, the protagonist of local writer Andrzej Sapkowski’s best-selling creation, The Witcher.
Nicknamed ‘Manhattan’ by the locals, the development’s inhuman dimensions form a solid concrete curtain just a little beyond the pedestrianized section of the city’s main high street, Piotrkowska. Now, though, its jarring aesthetics have been softened by the appearance of a set of gargantuan murals.
Covering an area of 2,000 sq/m and composed using 650 liters of paint, the 2021 artworks celebrate Geralt of Rivia, the protagonist of local writer Andrzej Sapkowski’s best-selling creation, The Witcher.
Dom Handlowy Central (Łódź)
A classic brutalist monster, DHC continues to wow architecture buffs through its almost alarming form. Consisting of three elements—a 13-story office building and two lower-lying slabs—the complex offered a shopping extravaganza the likes of which was largely unknown during Communist times.
Considered one of the best-stocked department stores throughout the 1970s and 80s, it was here that Poles would gather to covet Soviet color televisions, Hungarian cosmetics and East German timepieces. At its peak, customers would arrive by the coachload from all around the country.
Considered one of the best-stocked department stores throughout the 1970s and 80s, it was here that Poles would gather to covet Soviet color televisions, Hungarian cosmetics and East German timepieces. At its peak, customers would arrive by the coachload from all around the country.
ICHOT (Poznań)
Whereas brutalism fell out of fashion many moons back, a handful of architects have successfully revisited the style in more recent times. A case in point is ICHOT in Poznań, an interactive heritage center that regales the story of the city’s Cathedral Island.
Seen from the outside as a startling concrete cube, features of this popular tourist attraction include a rooftop terrace and a covered skywalk—lacking no shortage of fans, many have called it a prime example of ‘new brutalism.’
Seen from the outside as a startling concrete cube, features of this popular tourist attraction include a rooftop terrace and a covered skywalk—lacking no shortage of fans, many have called it a prime example of ‘new brutalism.’
